A big thank you to Bristol Grammar School for allowing us to host our February members meeting at the Sixth Form Centre.

Our speakers were Alice Webb (Chief Operating Officer for BBC England) who provided an inspiring talk about BBC England and its vision for the different regions such as Bristol.

We also heard a fascinating talk from Sir Ian Carruthers OBE (Former Chief Executive of the NHS) who spoke about lessons he learned from leading the NHS and how these can be applied for leading private & public sector companies and organisations.

Thank you to both speakers for providing such insightful and interesting talks, we all left feeling truly inspired.

Next up in our interviews with the Council of Management is our very own Robert Barnes, who keeps the local coffee shops in business doing a sterling job meeting prospective new members…

What is your role on the Council of Management?

My specific role is Membership Secretary.

What does your role involve?

Contrary to myths spread by certain people in the membership the role is not simply meeting potential new members for coffees! Essentially I am responsible for all issues related to membership whether that be for potential new members or existing members. As well as dealing with potential members there is the less glamorous job of maintaining the membership database. Unfortunately nobody has (as yet) done anything to allow me to exercise the power of refusing membership!

Why did you want to be involved in the Council of Management?

I joined the BJC shortly after moving to Bristol at a time when I knew nobody here. I found it such a great forum for meeting people and finding out more about what was going on in the City that joining the C of M was a way of furthering this and working with a great group of people. The membership role suited me in terms of fitting in with the demands of work and it’s also always great to meet new people who are interested in joining.

What opportunities has this brought you or new skills have you developed?

I have found the BJC fantastic for both work and social contacts and it provided such an easy way to get quickly integrated into the City despite being an outsider. I have been exposed to professions and sectors that would never cross my path in my day job and it’s great to have an understanding of how these operate and fit into the City. Being on the committee has allowed me to get involved with the Balloon Fiesta organisation committee which is an amazing experience. It has also helped develop my knowledge of local coffee shops …..

What has been the best thing about being on the Council of Management?

Fred Allen once said “a committee is a group of people who individually can do nothing, but who, as a group, can meet and decide that nothing can be done”. Whilst I have found this to be true on many occasions, actually the BJC committee is quite the opposite and between us we organise some fantastic events over the course of the year and it’s just really enjoyable to be part of. Also, out of date beers have recently been added to the pizza which in itself is a reason to attend C of M meetings!

Yes it’s that time of year again. The tickets for the BJC Annual Dinner are now available! Our annual black tie three course dinner with sparkling reception and live band is taking place at the Bristol Marriott Royal on Saturday 14th March…..

Tickets are available for both BJC Members and guests. To book a ticket or table please contact Gemma-Jane for more details. Deadline for bookings is Friday 20th February. Don’t miss the event of the year!!!

A huge congratulations to our President Karl Brown for winning the professional section of the South West Asian & Ethnic Minorities Awards 2014 in recognition for his work as a solicitor and as President of the BJC. Very well deserved!

We were honoured to have Right Honourable Baroness Shephard give the Presidents Lecture this year – continuing the theme of our President Karl Brown’s year, discussing the economic importance of social mobility to 21st century Britain.

The Members Dinner was held this year at the Merchants Hall. It was an absolutely spectacular event enjoyed by all. The CofM would like to thank our Chair of Social & Events Gemma-Jane Ogden for organising it.

Next up in our interviews with the Council of Management is our Vice-President Ben St Quintin…

What is your role on the Council of Management?

I am the Vice President for 2014-15 and will assume the role of President in April 2015.

What does your role involve?

My primary role is to support the current President, Karl Brown, in delivering his aims and objectives, whilst also learning as much as possible about the role before I take over next year!

I organize and Chair the monthly Council of Management (CoM) meetings and assist fellow CoM members as required.

I have also started planning the monthly members meetings for the 2015-16 year, an important part of the President’s remit. Bristol Green Capital 2015 is a fantastic opportunity for Bristol to promote itself at a national and global level and is a major element of my plans for next year.

Why did you want to be involved in the Council of Management?

After admiring the work of previous Council of Management members for almost two years, I decided to stand for a Council of Management position, to build on the great work of my predecessors and lead the BJC in 2015-16.

When I first moved to Bristol, the rugby club I played for was my main source of networking. After my rugby ‘career’ was curtailed by injury I became more and more involved with the BJC and the unrivaled networking opportunities the organization has to offer.

What opportunities has this brought to you or new skills have you developed?

Being part of the Council of Management has allowed me to improve my leadership and management skills and also presented many opportunities to work with the key business and political leaders in Bristol.

What has been the best thing about being on the Council of Management?

The American Physicist Frank Wilczek once said, ‘If you don’t make mistakes, you’re not working on hard enough problems. And that’s a big mistake’.

The best thing about being on the Council of Management is the completely unique challenge it provides, to lead a group of young professionals and shape the future of Bristol for the better.